


Got Your Back

by mooglecharm (morphaileffect)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angry Gladiolus Amicitia, M/M, Post-Episode Gladiolus, Protective Gladiolus Amicitia, Secret Relationship, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:07:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28306536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphaileffect/pseuds/mooglecharm
Summary: Even after triumphantly finishing the Bladesmaster's trials, Gladio just can't say the right words aloud.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	Got Your Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KageYuuki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KageYuuki/gifts).



> Secret santa gift for KageYuuki! I'm sorry I am so bad at writing action XD; But I hope you like this all the same. Merry Christmas! ♥♥♥

“You have my back.”

It wasn’t a question.

Or a request.

And there was no time for Gladio to say anything about it.

Ignis rushed ahead, leaving Gladio scrambling after him.

_“Ignis, wait!”_

Normally Ignis wouldn’t be this impulsive. Normally, their little team’s perfectly capable strategist would hang back, until his quick mind drew up a plan that would let them deal the most and take the _least_ amount of damage.

But Noct standing alone in the middle of a circle of iron giants, seemingly determined to take down as many of them as he could before one of them finally struck him down, was not exactly a situation Gladio would call “normal.”

In fact, Gladio would call it downright ridiculous.

And when “ridiculous” happened to Noct, Ignis could hardly be trusted to keep his head on straight.

***

The battle was tough, and their potions ran out fast. It tended to happen when one of them - mainly Ignis - rushed in without a clear plan.

But there _was_ a plan, of sorts. And from what Gladio could make out, was that Ignis protected Noct, and Gladio protected Ignis. Prompto was tasked to keep at a safe distance, and try to hit the giants as much as he could from afar.

And it wasn’t easy, keeping Ignis safe on hard mode. Ignis did his best to keep up with Noct’s frantic warping, but he was most efficient when Noct’s feet was on the ground.

So Gladio stuck close to Ignis, watching Ignis’ back, as he was tasked to do. That sometimes meant using what few healing potions he had on Ignis, and watching the man get back up on his feet with a rushed “Thanks”, and running off to take another hit meant for Noct.

And Ignis used the last of his potions on Noct.

Leaving none for himself.

A few well-placed Impulse attacks got them out of that particular scrape, just barely.

When the iron giants were defeated, Prompto, blessed Prompto, finally rushed in and shared all the potions in his personal storage, which turned out to be just enough to give everyone strength to hobble back to the Regalia.

“Okay,” Ignis breathed, as Prompto helped him to his feet. “What say we don’t do that again?”

“Don’t do _what_ again?” Noct sheepishly joked. “We survived, didn’t we?”

That was the last straw.

“ ‘We survived’?” Gladio acidly echoed. “That all you have to say for yourself?”

The tribe of iron giants were on the night road, in the way of the Regalia, and Noctis, irritable due to lack of dinner and sleep, had warped straight into them, clearly intending to cut his way through.

But he wasn’t strong enough to take them on easily. None of them were.

“You don’t just dash into danger like that. What, big man with all of _five_ royal arms thought he could take on a tribe of iron giants by himself now?”

Noct stood silently as Gladio tore into him. Part of it was because Gladio was right, of course he was - but Noct was also exhausted and extremely bruised and in no mood for a fight.

The truth was, Gladio also felt spent. A part of him wondered where he got the strength to still be so angry at Noct...

And another part of him didn’t have to wonder. The reason was right there. Holding on to Prompto for assistance, barely able to stand upright.

“You have to think about the ones you’re with. Prompto’s going to follow you into hell and back even if he’s scared. And Ignis - ”

“Gladio,” Ignis said softly. “Enough.”

And just like that, all the bile Gladio had left to spew dried up.

Taking advantage, Noct turned his back on Gladio, began walking back to the car.

“I don’t think any of us is in shape to drive to the nearest town,” Ignis pointed out. Prompto was the only one whose strength wasn’t completely sapped, but he had been banned from the driver’s seat since Day One. “The map says there’s a rest stop nearby. That appears to be our best and safest option.”

“Not gonna argue with best and safest,” Prompto chirped.

Ignis wordlessly slid into the driver’s seat, and everyone else took their assigned places. The car was quiet all the way to the rest stop.

***

Basically, no one spoke until morning, least of all Gladio.

Gladio even made his own breakfast, took it far from the rest of the group. It was not like him to sulk like this. And he was aware of how it strange it must have looked.

But he needed to think.

He would have to rejoin the group eventually. Otherwise it was going to look like guilt, and guilty was the _last_ thing he was. When Noct was acting like a short-sighted brat and placing them all in danger, it was Gladio’s job to snap him out of it and remember his responsibilities.

Just like it was Ignis’ job to make sure Noct wasn’t overwhelmed by his responsibilities.

Maybe Gladio _did_ overstep his bounds last night. Maybe he didn’t need to be so angry. But he couldn’t help himself. He had just come from the Trials, he should have been stronger, more capable, more patient. He -

“May I join you?”

Ignis. Of course.

He’d left the cleaning up to Prompto and Noct, and had located the spot near camp that Gladio had chosen to hide out in.

Without waiting for verbal confirmation, Ignis sat beside him.

Gladio began fighting the impulse to move away.

“We should talk about what happened,” Ignis began. “And if there are any announcements that have to be made, or arrangements to be discussed, I’d much rather they be done sooner than later.”

“Announcements?” Gladio asked, surprised. “Arrangements? What are you -“

“Are you leaving us again?”

Gladio stared at him dumbly.

What was Ignis thinking?

“You’re not a brooder, Gladio.” Ignis didn’t wait to be asked for an explanation. “And the last time I saw you behave like this... was right after our encounter with Lord Ravus. Right before you announced that you were leaving, without telling anyone why.”

Reluctantly, Ignis laid a hand on his bare arm. When he wasn’t pushed away, he leaned in closer.

“You didn’t talk to anyone back then,” he continued quietly. “I’m not going to let that mistake happen again. So...talk to me?”

It felt like it had been ages since he felt Ignis’ touch. This gesture, this contact, was comforting, but it didn’t completely dispel his fears.

Gladio placed his hand over Ignis’. He sighed deeply before continuing.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he assured Ignis. “It’s just been...weird since I came back from the Trials.”

“ ‘Weird’?”

“In the caves, I had a lot of time to think. I realized...”

_Is there someone special in your life right now?_

Cor had asked him this, in the Tempering Grounds.

_Someone you want to be stronger for. Not the Crown. Someone more important to you, personally, than your job._

Gladio’s fingers wrapped around Ignis’ tightly.

“...that if anything happened to you,” Gladio said without looking Ignis in the eye. “I wouldn’t know how to keep going.”

Ignis smiled at him.

_You don’t have to tell me who it is. Just...keep that someone close. Your time with them is precious and short. Let them make you strong._

With his free hand, Ignis reached up to stroke Gladio’s hair.

He was going to tell Gladio there was no knowing what the future brought. That they should _both_ be ready for loss. That they should cherish whatever time they have together.

Gladio closed his eyes against it all.

But Ignis chose to say something else, surprising him.

“We’ll make it through this together,” he said reassuringly. “And then we’ll no longer have to think of such morbid things.”

_And for the gods’ sake, tell them how you feel._

Gladio, bemused, had asked where that came from.

Cor had only grunted, said _I knew your father. You’re more like him than you probably realize._

“Ignis, I - ”

He gripped Ignis’ hand more tightly. The fingers slowly stroking Gladio’s hair fell still.

He brought Ignis’ hand up to his lips. Kissed the back of those slender fingers.

It was not an unfamiliar gesture. Gladio had done it so many times, in semi-private. When anyone could be looking, and kissing any other part of Ignis was out of the question.

And Ignis would always be taken aback, but never show it. It would just show in how he would seem flustered for a fraction of a second, as if the touch of Gladio’s lips sent a brief electric shock through his body.

“- I got your back,” Gladio finished. “You know that, right?”

Ignis drew out a small sigh. Gladio couldn’t tell if it was of relief or disappointment.

“Of course I do,” Ignis readily answered, with the brightest of smiles. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else with it.”

This reward was worth far more than the gesture, to Gladio, but he took it anyway.

Maybe Gladio could have been more honest.

Ignis meant more to him than this.

But it seemed he still needed to survive more than the Bladesmaster’s trials, to gain the courage to say it aloud.


End file.
